Shrimp & Corn Bisque
Unbelievably delicious, this Shrimp & Corn Bisque is a decadent soup that’s easier to make than you might think. Silky, creamy, and loaded with succulent shrimp, sweet crabmeat, and flavorful corn, this amazing shrimp soup recipe is perfect as a meal, as a starter, or just whenever you need a bowlful of something hot and delicious.
This is a terrific soup, and it has everything you could ask for in an amazing soup! It’s thick, rich, creamy, and loaded with shrimp and crab. The corn adds a pop of sweetness, and there’s bacon in it, too, which gives it a touch of smokiness.
Shrimp & Corn Bisque
I love this soup. It is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but it’s also delicious with a sandwich or salad for lunch, or make it the first course to a fabulous feast.
This is also a terrific soup for taking to events or for entertaining. You can keep it warm in a slow cooker and ladle it up when you’re ready to eat, or just heat it on the stove before ladling it into bowls. You can also make this soup ahead of time and just heat it before serving – just remember there is seafood in it, so you should eat it within 1-2 days of preparing it.
Salad shrimp are my shrimp of choice in this soup. They’re also called baby shrimp or bay shrimp. They’re the tiny shrimp that are usually in the frozen shrimp area of your grocery store. Add them at the end of the cooking time and heat them through – they’re usually sold cooked, but they also cook super fast if you’re using them raw.
Ready to impress? Make this amazing Shrimp and Corn Bisque today and treat yourself and your family and friends to a fabulous seafood soup!
Why I love this recipe
- It’s thick, rich, chunky, and delicious!
- Shrimp & Corn Bisque is easier to make than you might think!
- Loaded with shrimp and crab, it’s a luxurious soup that you can make in your own kitchen!
Gather these ingredients
- Bacon strips – About 8 slices; cooked and crumbled.
- Butter
- Celery – Diced small.
- Onion – Chopped.
- Garlic – Fresh cloves; minced.
- Small potatoes – Red skin or Yukon gold; peeled and cubed.
- Chicken broth
- White pepper and salt
- Dried thyme
- Tomato paste
- Sherry wine
- All-purpose flour
- Heavy whipping cream
- Half and half cream
- Cooked corn niblets
- Salad shrimp – Precooked or see my notes below.
- Crabmeat – Shredded.
- Old Bay seasoning
- Fresh thyme – Optional garnish.
How to make Shrimp & Corn Bisque with Crab
- Cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, then transfer it to paper towels to drain, but keep the bacon fat in the pan.
- Add the butter to the bacon drippings and saute the celery and onions until tender, about 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Stir in the potatoes, broth, salt, pepper, thyme, tomato paste, and sherry wine. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Whisk the flour and whipping cream together in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle this into the simmering soup while stirring to prevent lumps. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Add the shrimp, crabmeat, corn and 3 cups of the half-and-half cream. Stir and heat through, but don’t boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the crumbled bacon back to the soup and season to taste with Old Bay. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with chopped thyme, and serve!
Tips & substitutions
- If you’re starting with raw shrimp, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add shrimp and cook for a few minutes on each side until cooked through.
- You can use any kind of crabmeat in this soup. Look for fresh pasteurized crab in the seafood area of your grocery store. You don’t need to have expensive lump crab in this recipe. You can also use canned crab – you’ll find it with the canned tuna, just drain it very well before adding it to the soup.
- White pepper is better in light-colored soups like this, so you don’t end up with big black flecks of cracked black pepper.
- You can use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth in this shrimp bisque recipe.
Serving suggestions
Soups and salads go hand-in-hand and are fabulous for lunch or dinner. This zesty quinoa salad would be delicious paired with Shrimp & Corn Bisque, or opt for a lighter house-style salad. For a heartier meal, pair your soup with your favorite sandwich or serve it as a starter to a seafood feast, including entrees like Fettuccini Alfredo or baked salmon.
Storage
Store any leftover Shrimp & Corn Bisque in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Check out these awesome shrimp recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Shrimp & Corn Bisque
Ingredients
- 8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3-4 small potatoes, red potatoes or Yukon gold, peeled and cubed
- 2 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup sherry wine
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups half-and-half, divided
- 2 cups cooked corn
- 1 pound salad shrimp, bay shrimp
- 8 oz crabmeat, shredded
- 1-2 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- Fresh thyme sprigs, chopped (garnish)
Instructions
If you aren’t using already cooked bay shrimp, use this method:
- For raw shrimp, heat 1 tbsp of oil to a sauté pan on medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook for a few minutes on each side. Optional to add a pinch of salt or cayenne pepper for more heat.
Make the bisque:
- In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. Add butter to the drippings (you can spoon out some of the drippings if you don’t want to use that much); saute celery and onion until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, broth, salt, pepper, thyme, tomato paste and sherry wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour and 1 cup whipping cream until smooth. Gradually stir into the soup mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
- Add the shrimp, crabmeat, corn, and 3 cups of half-and-half. Gently stir and heat through (do not boil); turn down to low heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in crumbled bacon, and season to taste with Old Bay seasoning. Gently stir.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with the chopped thyme and serve.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
2/3 cup of flour is a bit much in my opinion other than that this is a great recipe, thanks!
We changed it to 1/2 cup! :)